Card game

ABSTRACT

A method of playing blackjack using a conventional playing card deck of fifty-two cards having four suits of thirteen cards each with number values from one to ten comprising dealing face down two cards to each player and the dealer, allowing one player the option of swapping cards with the face value unseen with the dealer and thereafter playing a conventional blackjack game.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/634,477, entitled “Card Game,” filedon Dec. 9, 2004, which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

SUBJECT MATTER OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a card game and, in particular, amethod of playing a game of blackjack. It also relates to a novelphysical facility for playing the game.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The game of blackjack generally involves a dealer and a number ofplayers, each of whom, individually, plays against the dealer. The gameinvolves the use of at least one conventional deck of cards having foursuits (clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds), with the thirteen cards ineach suit extending from an Ace to a King. The Ace has a numerical valueof one or eleven, while each of the picture cards has a numerical valueof ten. In a conventional game, each player and the dealer is dealt twocards. Bets are made before any card is dealt. In the initial deal, allcards except one of the dealer's cards are dealt face down. In aconventional game, the dealer plays each of the players in sequence,ordinarily starting with the player to his left. Each player has anoption of drawing one or more cards from the unused deck. The object ofthe game is for each player to have a total higher count of the cardvalues than the dealer, but not over twenty-one. If a player asks for acard which places the players total number of card values overtwenty-one, that player loses and forfeits any money that may have beenbet to the dealer. There are, in addition, a number of subsidiarybetting rules and rules relating to initial draws that total twenty-one,as well as rules relating to procedures known as splitting in which aplayer dealt identical cards may play each one of them separately. Inblackjack games conventionally played in casinos, additional rulesinclude, for example, the use of more than one deck in any given gameand requirements that are imposed on the dealer to draw if his total issixteen or less and not draw if his total is seventeen or more. Inaddition, in casino or professional games, there are conventions as towhether or not the players cards are initially dealt face-up orface-down. Obviously once the player commences to play against thedealer, the player's cards are all turned face-up. The conventionalprocedure of dealing the hands in which one of the cards of the dealeris turned face-up provides bidding information to the players todetermine whether or not there is a likelihood of prevailing. Inconventional blackjack games, all picture cards have a face value often, while the numbered cards have the face value of their number, fromthe Ace which is one to the ten card. Additionally, the Ace card inconventional blackjack may alternately have a value of eleven.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved and alternate game ofblackjack which introduces an added element of chance available to theplayers.

In the present invention, there is provided an alternate method ofplaying the game of blackjack which introduces an added element ofchance at the option of the player. The object of the present invention,therefore, is intended to provide a blackjack game in which at least oneplayer has an added option in playing the game, which option provides afurther element of chance and excitement to the player.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an alternatemethod of playing blackjack in which the relevant odds of each of theplayers is substantially the same, while nonetheless providing an addedelement of surprise, risk and choice to a particular player.

One further object of the present invention is to provide a physicalfacility for enhancing the ultimate embodiment of the game in which theactual handling of the cards by the player is facilitated.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention will bemore clearly understood when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic or a plan view of a blackjack tableembodying the present invention and designed for playing blackjack witha dealer and up to six players.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to a method of playing a blackjack cardgame. In the present invention, there is a dealer and one or moreplayers. The number of players may vary, but conventionally from four toabout six in addition to the dealer will play in a game. The players siton one side 14 of a table 10, facing the dealer on the other side 12.The table is arrayed with “lazy Susan” turn tables 16 for each player.The turn tables 16 are each supported by a suitable pivot 17 on thetable and are capable of rotating 360 degrees in either direction. Eachof the turntables is provided with two locations for the cards.Initially, location 20 is positioned on the side of the table adjacentto the players while location 22 is closest to the dealer. When thedealer deals the card, the dealer will deal two cards down to eachplayer and two cards down to himself, with the cards dealt to theplayers being placed on location 20. The dealer will place his two downcards on location 20 of the same carousel of the player who isidentified by location 26. A button 26 identifies a player that willhave the swap advantage. This button 26 will ordinarily be movedsequentially after each game to the next adjacent player with the buttonpreferably placed in front of the first player in the first game andthen switched to the second, third, fourth, and each successive playerin each successive game. After the cards are dealt, and before anyoneincluding both players and the dealer look at any cards, the playerhaving the button 26 in front of him may elect to swap both cards forboth cards of the dealer. He may signal this by rotating his table untilthe location of spot 20 on which his—have been placed are moved to spot22—a location is now closest to the dealer and spot 20 is now closest tothe player. Once that election is made, the blackjack game proceeds asan ordinary blackjack game. In this sequence, each player in sequenceplays against the dealer, after the dealer has turned over one of thetwo cards dealt to him. The card turned over is ordinarily the secondcard dealt. Ordinarily bets are placed before any cards are dealt.

The blackjack game proceeds in the usual fashion with the first playerdrawing cards from the top of the unused deck until the first playereither has cards that total more than twenty-one points or, alternately,when the first player decides to hold with a card value of up totwenty-one. The game then proceeds sequentially to each of the remainingplayers. If any player has drawn more than twenty-one points, the playerautomatically loses and whatever bet made prior to the deal is forfeitedto the dealer. After all players have drawn whatever cards they want,the dealer then turns over his second or hole card. If the dealer, as isthe case in casino blackjack, has seventeen points or more, as forexample a King and a seven, the dealer stands firm and will pay anyoneelse with an eighteen through twenty-one. In the conventional blackjack,if a player has the same number as the dealer, it is a draw for thatparticular player. If the player has less than the total points in thedealer's hand, the dealer wins. If the dealer is required to draw a cardor cards because his total is 16 or under and the drawn cards make thetotal exceed 21, and the player has himself not exceeded a 21 pointtotal, the player wins.

After the first game, successive games may be played with the buttonmoved to successive players, each of whom has the option of swappingcards with the dealer before any cards are turned over.

Other variations of the invention are contemplated within the broadscope of this invention. For example, the invention contemplates a gamein which a dealer and player exchange hands, after the hands areinitially dealt, but before any of the players examine their cards. Asnoted above and as is conventional in these games, the players' cardsare all dealt face down, while one of the dealer's cards is dealt faceup and the other face down. In this variation, the players have the sameoption of exchanging hands with the dealer. However, in this instance,the player having the option to exchange hands has the added informationof seeing one of the cards of the dealer as he does, traditionally, inconventional blackjack. This gives the player with the option additionalinformation that will impact his decision as to whether or not theplayer should exchange hands. In this variation, the player exercisingthe option to exchange hands with the dealer will pay a premium for thisoption. For example, if the advantage works out to be a 20% advantage tothe player, then the casino may charge a premium on the player's wager.Thus, if the player wagers $20 to win $20 as is usual in blackjack handsof this type and assuming the additional information has a calculated20% advantage, the player would either bet $25 to $30, depending uponthe specific calculation of the casino, for the privilege of this extrachoice. If a player wants to bet $20, he would have to place a $25 bet,of which $5 would be immediately taken by the casino. If the playerloses, the remaining $20 will be taken by the casino. If the playerwins, the player will recover his remaining $20, plus the $20 paid forwinning if the payoff is 100% of the bet.

The percentages set forth above are exemplifications. However, it iscontemplated that the actual percentages will be mathematicallycalculated based on conventional laws of probability. A still furthervariant of the game contemplates the playing cards be dealt with eachplayer and the dealer having one face-up card. In this variation, thebets are made and the option of swapping cards with the dealer are madebefore the players and the dealer turns over their hole cards.

These further embodiments provide additional gaming activity for playerswhich allow players to use additional gambling skills in determiningwhether or not to achieve further interest in the game.

1. A blackjack card game using a conventional deck of fifty-two cards offour suits from an Ace to a King, comprising dealing a pair of cards toeach player and to a dealer, with the cards face value down and notshowing, allowing one player to swap both cards with the dealer beforeany card value is seen, and thereafter playing a conventional game ofblackjack
 2. A table for playing blackjack comprising a table surfaceand at least one rotatable platform pivotally supported on the tablewith diametrically opposite locations for playing cards.
 3. A blackjackcard game using a conventional deck of playing cards having four suitsfrom an Ace to a King comprising dealing a pair of cards to each playerand to a dealer, allowing one player to exchange cards with the dealerand wagering on the outcome of the game before or after the face valueof cards are examined by the players.
 4. A blackjack card game as setforth in claim 3 wherein the cards are dealt with face values down forall cards except one of the dealers cards.
 5. A blackjack card game asset forth in claim 4 wherein one card is dealt face down and the otherface up to each player and wherein the one player elects to exchange ornot exchange cards with the dealer before looking at the one player'sface down card.
 6. A blackjack card game as set forth in claim 5 whereinthe player electing to exchange cards with the dealer pays a premiumover a wager made by the one player.
 7. A blackjack card game as setforth in claim 6 wherein the premium paid is a percentage of the wagermade by the one player.
 8. A blackjack game as set forth in claim 7wherein a premium is paid by the one player irrespective of whether theone player wins that particular game.